Sweet potato bake (aka fake Dauphinoise)

I’ve never been quite sure about Dauphinoise potatoes. I get the point: they’re rich and creamy, which to me is a great quality in a foodstuff. The thing is, I always find myself wanting something more. I want a bit more crunch, a bit more flavour, something a little more substantial that (if possible) won’t make me feel guilty. Somehow, thinking along this vein led me to the conclusion that I could make my own version of the Dauphinoise by basically changing all the ingredients. The plus side of doing it this way is that you can have this as a light main course or a side, and it’s neither too bland for the main nor too overwhelming for the side.

Stage one: Preheat the oven to 200C/fan180C. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, and thinly slice the onions. Put in a roasting tin. If you don’t want the top really crispy, now would be the time to measure out some tinfoil to put over the roasting tin half way through and set it aside for later.

Stage two: In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs and mustard, and season well. Pour the mixture over the potato and onion. Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the top.

Stage three: Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. Have a look after 15-20 minutes and decide how crispy you want the top. I like the top really crispy, so I just left the roasting tin uncovered, and the top potatoes went all crisp and the onions charred slightly. It’s a personal taste. If you’re not weird like me, very carefully cover the roasting tin with tinfoil and return to the oven.